james t



(No Model.) 2' Sheets-Sheetl. J.T. HOYT. CABINET FOR SANITARY TOILET PAPER.

' No. 333,073. Patented 1m. "22, 1885.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR 0% wwky ry' @7126; I m

ZJZM d2 1,2) ATTORNEYS (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.,

- J. T. HOYT.

CABINET FOR SANITARY TOILET PAPER.

Padzented Dec. 22, 1885.

INVENTOR J2me; Z'Hay? WITNESSES:

$17 M 5 his ATTORNEYS Ilnrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES T. HOYT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO EMILY O. HOYT, OF

SAME PLACE.

CABINET FOR SANITARY TOILET-PAPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,073, dated December 22, 1885.

Application filed April 16, 1885. Serial No. 162177. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES T. How, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Cabinets for Sanitary or Toilet Paper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cabinets or receptacles for sanitary or toilet paper; and it consists in an apparatus for holding the paper in sheets and discharging it as wanted without waste. The paper is employed in the condition of sheets of suit-able size for sanitary or toilet paper, arranged in a package loosely, containing several hundred or a thousand sheets, (more or less.) Such sheets are generally oblong in shape. Through one end of the package is inserted a bar or rod, (one or more,) on which the package is suspended in the cabinet in such a manner that the sheets can be detached from the package by friction 'of a roller on the sheets and discharged through the lower part one at a time. The 'endsof the suspension-bars project from the front and rear sides of the package far enough to enablethem to rest upon suitable supports in the cabinet, allowing the free ends of the I sheets to hang down therein unconfined. In

the lower part of the cabinet is a roller proagainst which the lower ends of the sheets of paper are continually pressed by means of a spring or its equivalent acting against theback part of the package, so that when the roller is 3 5 turned in the proper direction it Will by means of frictional eontactpull the sheet of paper "which is next to it downward, tearing it off the suspension-bar, and discharging it through the bottom of the cabinet, which has an opening below or under the roller for that purpose. In this manner as many successive sheets are detached singly from the suspended package as are desired, and no waste occurs from an excessive supply.

The apparatus can be made simply of an open frame, which will sustain the necessary parts, or can be made of a closed box and of an ornamental character.

One of the objects of my invention is to sup- 5o ply sanitary or toilet paper for individual use vided with a roughened or corrugated surface,

' readily and freely and ina convenient manner and without much expense.

Another object is to avoid-the waste which commonly attends the use of such paper.

Another object is to keep the paper out of 5 sight, being concealed in the cabinet until wanted.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of my improved cabinet, the front being re moved. Fig. 2 is a vertical section in the line as so of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear view, the back of the cabinet being removed. Fig. 4 is a separate View of the ratchet-wheel and detent of the corrugated roller. Fig. 5 is a face View, and Fig. 6 a side view of a package of paper. 7

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

In carrying out my invention I make use of sanitary or toilet paper out into sheets of suitable dimensions and arrange them in packages containing several hundred or a thousand sheets together, (more or less.) The letter A designates such a package. The several sheets of the package are loose and independent of each other. Through the upper end of the package, at about the middle of its width, I make a slit or perforation, B, in whichI place a suspension bar or rod, 0, whose ends D D. project from the front and back of the pack age far enough to allow them to be used forsuspending the paper in the apparatus. I prefer the bar 0 to be fiat.

The letter E designates the cabinet which holds the paper. I do not restrict myself to any particular form or style for its construction, nor to any particular dimensions or materials. In this example I have shown it as composed of a frame, E, the top of which is provided with a hinged door, F, through which I insert the paper. E is a strengthening-rod extending across the frame.

In the upper part of the cabinet are two permanent bars, G G, extending across its interior at suitable distances apart to permit the entrance between them of the package of pa- 9 5 per. These bars have sockets H H in them at about the middle of their length,which receive the ends of the suspension-bar G.

In the lower front part of the cabinet is a roller, I, made fast on its axis,which turns in hearings in the sides of the cabinet. One end of its axis projects through the side and is provided with a handle, J, by means of which the roller can be turned by the hand.

The arrow in Fig. 2 indicates the direction of rotation of the roller. Itis prevented from being turned in the contrary direction by means of a ratchet-wheel, K, secured upon it, which is engaged by a detent, L. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) The ratchet and detent are shown separately in Fig. l. The roller may, if desired, be made loose on its axis, and the axis be provided with a pawl engaging ratchetteeth on the roller, so arranged that when the axis is turned in the proper direction it will communicate motion to the roller, and when .turned in the opposite direction its pawl will slip over the ratchet and the roller will not be turned. The roller I is provided with a roughened or corrugated surface. Its surface may consist of corrugated rubber or sand-paper or other suitable material secured to the circumference of the roller; but I do not confine myself to any particular material or method for providing a suitable roughened or corrugated surface for the roller. The lower free ends of the body of paper extend down behind the roller I, against which they are constantly pressed, and thus its surface is enabled by means of frictional contact with the front sheet, when the roller is turned in the direction of the arrow,to strip off from the package and pull down the front sheet of the package A, severing the upper part of the sheet above the slit B upon the bar 0, and so on for successive sheets, and delivering the sheets suecessivelyupon the inclined smooth surface L, over which its passes to the opening M in the lower front part of the cabinet below the level of the roller. The incline L extends from beneath the body of paper under the roller to the place of discharge M. I

Fig. 2 represents a sheet which has been drawn down by the roller and is being fed over the incline L and through the mouth M. The pressure upon the paper which presses its free ends against the face of the roller is produced in this example by the action of a spring, N, as follows: A plate, 0, about the same dimensions in length and width as the sheets of paper, is suspended by earsI P from the rear one of the bars G, so that it can swing thereon. From the center of said bar G is suspended a spiral spring, N, whose lower end is secured to thelower part of a plate, Q,which is rigidly secured to a shaft, 1%, whose ends rest in the sides of the cabinet, and one of whose ends extends through the same and is provided with a crank, It, and a ratchet, S, and detent '1, so that the shaft R can be turned and the plate Q moved back when fresh paper isto be placed in the cabinet. The plate Q is drawn by the spring N against the swinging plate 0, which is thus pressed continuali y against the lower ends of the paper A, and they in turn pressed against the roller I, so that the paper is continually fed to the roller,

and the roughened surface is ready as soon as one sheet is delivered to act on the next sheet.

Then a fresh package of paper is to be placed in the cabinet, the plate 0 is relieved from the pressure by means of the crank R, which is operated'so as to turn the shaft R against the tension of spring N and bring the plate Q to the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2, when the plate 0 swings freely on the bar and allowsa fresh package of paper to be inserted between it and the roller I, the ratchet S and detent T holding the shaft R stationary meanwhile. When the detent T is withdrawn, the crank It and shaft R are released, and the plate Q is again drawn by the spring against the plate 0.

The packages A are prepared beforehand for use in the cabinet, the sheets being cut into the required size or sizes and supplied with bars 0, of zinc or other soft metal, so that their ends can be bent down against the sides of the package to enable the packages to be transported without displacing the bars. T-Vhen one desires to place such a package in the cabi net, it is only necessary to straighten out the bent ends of the bar, when the package ready for use. I also provide caps U for the packages for the better securing of the sus pension-bars 0 while the packages are being transported, and also for the more convenient handling of the packages. The caps can be made of paper or thin metal, or any suitable material, and perforated to receive the bars 0,

whose ends can be bent down,as above explained, against the sides of the caps. If the caps are kept on the packages when the latter are placed in the cabinet, care must be taken that they do not press the paper, as in that case the sheets might resist the pull of the friction-roller I.

The friction-roller I may be of any suitable size, and if it is desired to give its surface a high speed, so as to cause the sheets of paper to be delivered very fast, gearwheels may be employed in connection therewith.

I do not restrict myself to the arrangement of the paper and roller I with reference to each other, which is shown in the drawings, as they may be arranged so that the sheets of paper shall be in a horizontal or other position, and their free ends be pressed against the roller either in an upward or downward direction with substantially similar results.

I have here shown only one suspension-bar, C; but more than one can be employed, if desired. When more than one is used, they are inserted in slits arranged at about equal distances from each other and from the sides of the package.

The shape and number of the suspensionbars and the location of the slits B in the paper can be varied as occasion requires, so as to cause the several sheets to be retained on the bars until pulled off by the feed-roller I.

I do not, however, confine myself to a bar or rod, 0, as the means for suspending or retaining the sheets of the packages, as the sheets may be suspended and retained in place by a cord or thread, one or more, inserted through their upper edges, or any other device which will hold and suspend the package of sheets by one end, leaving their lower ends free, and so that the several sheets can be separately stripped from the package byrthe feed-roller and delivered one by one, as described.

' The bar 0 may be of increasing thickness toward its rear end, so that the sheets at that end will be less readily stripped from the bar, and the increased action of the spring and roller when the sheets are few in number he thereby compensated by increased resistance on the part of the paper.

The package of paper herein shown and described, consisting of the series of sheets provided with the cap U, and the suspension bar or rod passing through an opening in the pa 1kage, the ends of the bar or rod projeotingin front and rear, and adapted to be bent down during transportation and outwardly to serve in suspending the package when in use, is notclaimed herein, as the same will be made the subject-matter of a separate application for Letters Patent.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, substantially as shown and described, of a cabinet or case, the friction-roller I, and the pressure-plates O and Q, and spring N, or their equivalents, for pressing the lower ends of sheets of paper against the roller.

2. In a cabinet or case, the combination, with the swinging plate 0, suspended from near the top of said case and extending down to near the bottom thereof, of the swinging plate Q, the lower end of which bears against the lower end of plate 0, and the spring N, having one end connected with the plate Q, so as .to force the package of sheets placed in front of plate 0 up against the separating device, substantially as described.

3. A cabinet, E, for toilet-paper, provided with adoor, F, for inserting the paper, axnouth, M, and incline L,'for discharging the sheets, in combination with aroller, I, for separating the sheets one by one from the package of sheets of paper, and a pressing device for forcing the sheets against the roller, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with a cabinet or case, of a bar or rod, 0, for suspending a package of sheets of paper, the cap U, the two bars G G, and the sockets H H thereof receiving the ends of the suspension-bar O, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of a cabinet or case for containing a suspended package of sheets of paper, a friction-roller for detaching the sheets from the package, and a pressure-plate for pressing the package toward the roller, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES T. HOYT. 1,. s.]

Witnesses:

WILLIAM MILLER, E. F. KASTENI-IUBER. 

